The present invention relates to a laundry deflector apparatus for a domestic appliance for laundry care, in particular a washing machine or a tumble dryer, with at least one deflector element.
Such a laundry treatment device is known from DE 102 37 017 B3. With this laundry treatment device a laundry deflector is secured in the upper region of the opening of the outer tub, consisting of a rigid securing part and an elastic deflector part. The deflector part of the secured laundry deflector is inserted into the loading opening of the laundry drum forming a gap. The laundry deflector is intended to release laundry items which have become caught, in particular as the laundry drum accelerates into a spin, and project into the region of the seal and are held by the seal. One disadvantage of the known laundry deflector is that laundry can become trapped in the gap between the laundry deflector and the laundry drum and be damaged as a result. Also the friction forces acting between the laundry and the laundry deflector, in particular when the laundry drum is full, are so great that the deflector part is permanently abraded. The resulting abrasion has a detrimental effect on the laundry.
A seal for a washing machine with an integrated deflector part is also known from WO 02/12612 A1. The very elastic deflector part is stabilized by a metal wire inserted into the deflector part and bent. The metal wire is an integral component of the securing ring of the seal. Despite the stabilizing metal wire the laundry deflector is so unstable that the laundry deflector cannot release the laundry with sufficient reliability. The laundry deflector can also be damaged or even broken due to the friction of the laundry, in particular laundry with metal parts such as zippers and the like. The seal and ultimately also the laundry treatment device start to leak as a result.
A laundry treatment device with a laundry deflector is also known from DE 20 2004 012 221 U1. FIG. 1 shows a sectional diagram of a partial segment of this known washing machine. The outer tub 1 here is shown with an opening into which a laundry loading opening 3 of a laundry drum 2 projects. Only the so-called front sheet of the laundry drum 2 with the loading opening 3 is shown. The housing (not shown) has a door opening (filling in direction of arrow) corresponding to the loading opening 3 of the laundry drum 2 or the opening of the outer tub 1. The opening of the outer tub 1 is connected to a door opening by means of an elastic seal 5. The washing machine also has a laundry deflector 4, which is connected rigidly to the outer tub 1, close to the upper region of the opening and therefore also close to the upper region of the loading opening 3 of the laundry drum 2.
A further laundry deflector apparatus with an asymmetrical deflector element is also known from WO 2008/104420.